Sephora Adds First Plastic-Free Brand to Product Range

Beauty retailer Sephora has added AORA Mexico to its product range as its first brand to eliminate plastic from all packaging. The Mexico City company uses tin, aluminium and wood containers across its entire line.

The move could show how premium beauty retailers are testing consumer appetite for sustainable packaging at scale. AORA launched in 2022 with formulations based on Mexican ingredients including native chiles and cactus flower.

Sephora operates across 35 markets with 50,000 employees, and the company has set targets to use 100% renewable electricity by 2026 and reduce airfreight transport by 2030.

Marketing to Latinx consumers

AORA has entered Sephora stores with Spanish language packaging and bilingual digital content, with the brand marketing products that combine beauty and fashion accessories to its target demographic.

The company's Spicy Lip Serum contains five varieties of Mexican chiles sourced from different regions of the country and, according to AORA, the product has built a following for its sensation and formula.

The brand's approach reflects growing interest among beauty consumers for products that connect cultural heritage with contemporary formulations. This positioning allows AORA to differentiate itself in the competitive prestige beauty market.

Nour Tayara, Chief Executive of AORA, says: "We didn't build AORA to be the 'sustainable alternative'. We built it to prove that sustainability belongs at the centre of prestige beauty.

"Consumers shouldn't have to choose between luxury, performance and responsibility."

Packaging waste removal programme

Each AORA purchase funds the removal of nine times the product's weight in plastic waste from nature through certification with rePurpose Global. According to the company, sales have funded removal of more than 2,390 kilograms of plastic waste, or the equivalent of 400,000 single-use plastic bags.

The brand is also aiming to challenge industry reliance on single-use plastic containers.

Nour says: "Sephora welcoming its first fully plastic-free beauty brand sends a powerful message to the industry: sustainability is no longer a niche trend or a compromise. It's becoming the new standard."

No plastic appears in any packaging component for AORA products. The company sources formulation ingredients from Mexico including botanical extracts and chile varieties.

Retailer sustainability roadmap targets

Sephora's Global Green Heart Roadmap outlines plans to reduce emissions, promote sustainable consumption and rethink packaging waste. The retailer aims to install in-store collectors for empty beauty containers in 75% of locations by 2026.

The company has set targets to source 100% certified paper and cardboard in key categories by 2026. It plans to return, donate or recycle 100% of unsold products by 2030.

Carley Klekas, Global Senior Director of Sustainable Consumption at Sephora, writes on LinkedIn: "Sephora has worked hard to make progress towards our sustainability goals, but the journey is far from over.

"We remain committed to driving positive change within our industry and continuing to collaborate and innovate towards a more sustainable planet."